Long Range Shooting: What's your mission?

Choosing your mission is the key to everything.

You need to be clear at the outset what you want to do in the sport.

Is it target shooting from a bench, is it competition, is it casual, but not the main shooting area you want to focus upon, or is it long range hunting?

Is it all of the above, or are you just generally curious?

Depending on your mission, you will want to choose different cartridge and load combinations, the rifle type and weight, and the scope and supporting system elements. With these things in mind, consider your application first, and then use this course to select each component of your shooting system in order to meet your own needs. In addition to the outcome of this process, you will likely want to consider your budget and how to allocate that between the equipment choices you will make. The logical place to start is with the cartridge you will need to achieve your mission(s), as this will then lead to other decisions, such as the rifle you select to match.

Understanding why you are shooting (and often which shooting community you belong to) gives you a path of learning and also helps with various choices along the way, so it's very important.